French Southern and Antarctic Lands




                                  Header


Affiliation:
     (overseas territory of France)


                                 Geography


Location:
     Southern Africa, in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant
     between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia
Map references:
     Antarctic Region, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     7,781 sq km
land area:
     7,781 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Delaware
note:
     includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles
     Crozet; excludes Terre Adelie claim of about 500,000 sq km in
     Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Land boundaries:
     0 km
Coastline:
     1,232 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm from Iles Kerguelen only
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     Terre Adelie claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US
Climate:
     antarctic
Terrain:
     volcanic
Natural resources:
     fish, crayfish
Land use:
arable land:
     0%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     0%
forest and woodland:
     0%
other:
     100%
Irrigated land:
     0 sq km




Environment:
current issues:
     NA
natural hazards:
     Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
international agreements:
     NA
Note:
     remote location in the southern Indian Ocean


                                  People


Population:
     no indigenous inhabitants; note - there are researchers whose numbers
     vary from 150 in winter (July) to 200 in summer (January)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises
local short form:
     Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises
Digraph:
     FS
Type:
     overseas territory of France since 1955; governed by High
     Administrator Bernard de GOUTTES (since May 1990), who is assisted by
     a 7-member Consultative Council and a 12-member Scientific Council
Capital:
     none; administered from Paris, France
Administrative divisions:
     none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order
     administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
     are 3 districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles Saint-Paul
     et Amsterdam; excludes Terre Adelie claim in Antarctica that is not
     recognized by the US
Independence:
     none (overseas territory of France)
Flag:
     the flag of France is used


                                  Economy


Overview:
     Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and
     geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets. The
     fishing catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported
     to France and Reunion.




Budget:
revenues:
     $17.5 million
expenditures:
     $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)


                              Communications


Highways:
total:
     NA
paved:
     NA
unpaved:
     NA
Ports:
     none; offshore anchorage only
Merchant marine:
     21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 441,962 GRT/813,779 DWT, bulk 3,
     cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, liquified gas 2, multifunction large load
     carrier 1, oil tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo
     4
note:
     a captive subset of the French register
Telecommunications:
     NA


                              Defense Forces


Note:
     defense is the responsibility of France